Patent · US Active

Thermal protection circuit for an LED bulb

US8283877B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by
6References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 7, 2011
Grant dateOct 9, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 7, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02B20/30
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A light-emitting diode (LED) bulb has an LED within a shell. The LED bulb also includes a driver circuit for providing current to the LED. The drive circuit has a thermal protection circuit, which includes a thermistor having a positive thermal coefficient and a switching temperature. The driver circuit also includes a switch-mode power supply (SMPS) controller with an input pin and an output pin. The thermistor is connected to the input pin. When the thermistor temperature is above the switching temperature, the thermal protection circuit causes the SMPS controller to produce a signal with a second duty cycle on the output pin. When the thermistor temperature is below the switching temperature, the thermal protection circuit causes the SMPS controller to produce a signal with a first duty cycle on the output pin. The second duty cycle is higher than the first duty cycle.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.